First Team contracts have been offered to Dallas Ororo, Oliver Clare, Max Brown and Adam Tamillio. The link between the two organisations came about through First Team player Dan Rundle, who studied and now lectures at Sandwell College. The Rugby Academy was the brainchild of Head of Sport at Sandwell College, Scott Thomas.

Scott Thomas, Head of Sport, said “The relationship between Sandwell College and Stourbridge RFC has flourished over the past few years. I’m extremely proud of the academy programme and the opportunities its creating for these young people on and off the pitch. The success of the programme is evident by the new first team signings. This is just the start of something very special and we are looking forward to a successful future."

Dan Rundle, Sports Lecturer and Course Leader for Rugby Education Programme, said “I’m immensely proud of the hard work and dedication shown by both the new signings and the Academy players as a whole. My excitement at these signings is twofold: on a personal level I’m keen to play alongside them and to utilise their talents as part of a dynamic and skilled first team, and on a professional level I’m thrilled that our Academy Programme is already producing such fantastic results on and off the pitch that benefit Stourbridge Rugby Club and Sandwell College. The exciting thing is that this is only the start of our journey and I can’t wait to see what other successes the Academy can produce in the future.”

Director of Rugby at Stourbridge, Neil Mitchell, said, "Over the last two decades, whilst playing at the top two levels of the National Leagues, we have struggled to find a regular supply of the requisite skill level of players from most of the local secondary schools. Football, not rugby, is the first-choice sport in almost all of the schools in the Black Country, apart from OSH, which has and continues to feed some outstanding young players into all levels of Stourbridge RFC. Therefore, we don't get the same level of school and college feeds that most of the other clubs in the top two leagues benefit from.”

The initiative of the link with Sandwell College not only facilitates the opportunity for these young men and women to extend their education and achieve, but it also gives them a chance to follow their dreams to be professional rugby players. The Academy students who undertake their studies and rugby training at Stourbridge under the steer of First Team Player Dan Rundle and Chad Thorne. Chad is lead coach and runs the Schools Community Group, which has introduced rugby into well over 20 local junior and secondary schools over the last 18 months. They are ably assisted by Alex Maxwell, another First XV Player. A semi-permanent classroom has been supplied during the summer, adjacent to the main stand, exclusively for lecturing the students. Mitchell added, "We have a hugely successful Mini and Junior section at Stourbridge and having the symbiosis of the Academy and Schools Community Group gives us the opportunity to reach out and welcome all to the Black Country's Premier Rugby Club. The state-of-the-art Gym, newly extended changing rooms and 4G pitch, means we can offer the very best of facilities to the wider community and we are all very excited about the proactive opportunities for our Club on the other side of this dreadful pandemic".

If you’re interested in joining our Rugby Academy or would like more information please don’t hesitate to contact Dan Rundle. Daniel.Rundle@sandwell.ac.uk